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Sin Bandera
Sin Badera in concert at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California, April 4, 2006
Background information
Origin	Mexico City, Mexico
Genres	Latin pop / Mexican pop R&B
Years active	2000–2007
Labels	Sony Discos
Past members
Leonel García Noel Schajris

Sin Bandera ("Flagless") was a Latin pop duo based in Mexico that consisted of Leonel García, and Noel Schajris. They became one of the most popular artists after their debut album "Sin Bandera" was released in 2001.

Biography[link]

Leonel Garcia (from Mexico) had the idea to be soloist, he showed dexterity with the guitar and the voice, but his project remained frozen at the record companies. At the same time, Noel Schajris (from Argentina, now a nationalized Mexican) was preparing another solo album after making his debut in 1999. Both being musicians, composers and singers, they discovered the ideal formula to unite their talents and personalities in 2000.

There was immediate chemistry: they spoke about their favorite music, of the albums they bought, and about the singer-songwriters they were most interested in... and coincided in everything. The two wanted to sing, but Noel preferred the piano, and Leonel, the guitar, for which at no time there was collision of interests, but an integration of musical inclinations.

They later began to write and record their self-titled debut album "Sin Bandera", which touched the feelings of the romantic public in a special way with the production of the fellow musician Aureo Baqueiro. In their first meeting they wrote three songs, during a single day. Composing songs was the best way for them to get to know each other. After having separate musical experiences, it turned out to be very exciting to feel the force that they achieved together.

The name "Sin Bandera" (Without a Flag) was adopted to transmit the idea to worry about world union. They both thought that we lived in a separate society, that we get to the point where we no longer believe in ideology or in language, and we end up thinking that one is the enemy of the other. As love and music do not have a flag, from that they were inspired to name their new musical adventure. The duo wants to spread that message through the music; We are one and that feeling is the best route to communication; That love is the fundamental energy that gives sense to all.

"Entra En Mi Vida" ("Come Into My Life"), their first single, is a song written by themselves, in which they express the magic of love and the emotions that occur upon a first encounter with that special someone. It was also the main theme of the Mexican telenovela Cuando Seas Mía ("When You're Mine"). The singles Kilómetros ("Kilometers") and Sirena ("Mermaid") also became favorites among the young public. Their success extended to Spain, Argentina, and the United States, Costa Rica and many other countries around the world.

In 2002, Sin Bandera was nominated for a Latin Grammy award for "Best Group Album", which was awarded to them in Los Angeles, California on September 18. It received various ¡Oye! and Lo Nuestro (Best Pop Album) awards, and an MTV Latino award (for Best Artist).

After a few restless months, in 2003, they recorded "Amor Real" ("Real Love"), which also served as the main theme for that homonymous soap opera. The duo was also responsible for opening concerts for Alejandro Sanz in the United States, and shortly after, in Spain.

By the end of 2003, their second album "De Viaje" ("Traveling") arrived, produced again by Baqueiro, that likewise approached the millions of sales at international level, little by little. The album also remained for 16 continuous weeks in the lists of Billboard and its Hot Latin Tracks. Among the 16 tracks of the album there was "Que Lloro" ("I Cry"), "Mientes tan Bien" ("You Lie So Well"), "Amor Real", "Bien" ("Good"), "Magia" ("Magic"), "Canción para días lluviosos" ("Song For Rainy Days") and "Puede ser" ("May Be"), which was a duet with Presuntos Implicados. Of these, the first 3 were number 1's in Mexico, an achievement only RBD and Shakira have managed to obtain.

In 2004 they carried out their tour to Venezuela, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, the United States and Spain, among other countries. They were also nominated again for the fifth annual Latin Grammy awards, where they won the award for "Best Pop Vocal Group Album" for the second time around. After a successful gain as Better Pop Vocal Album by Duet or Group- by second consecutive year. Also, after a successful miniseason in Teatro Metropólitan of Mexico (3,300 spectators), they received the opportunity to play for the first time in the Auditorio Nacional of Mexico City (9,600 spectators) with two dates in the middle of October.

Their album "Mañana" ("Tomorrow"), which was released November 22, 2005, contains the single "Suelta mi mano" ("Let Go of My Hand"). This album also contains a soft atmosphere duet, Como tú y como yo ("Like You And Like Me"), sung with talented Italian pop singer Laura Pausini.

Their latest album, "Pasado" ("Past"), is a sequel to "Mañana". This time, Sin Bandera teamed up with noted producers Aureo Baqueiro, Mario Domm and Jay de la Cueva. The emphasis this time is on international ballads of the '70s and '80s. Sin Bandera reworks the tunes with a slower, more soulful R&B touch.

The CD also includes De Vita's philosophical "Un buen perdedor" ("A Good Loser"); Sanz's anthemic and Beatlesque "¿Lo Ves?" ("Do You See it?"); and Montaner's lovely but haunting "Será" ("It Will Be"). Underwhelming is the pair's English-language rendition of "Love Is in the Air."

"These are the tunes which fascinated us when we were young adolescents," Garcia said. "Tunes like `Serenata Rap' ("Rap Serenade") and `Mis Impulsos Sobre Ti' ("My Impulses About You") are the songs that move us (now)."

Their greatest hits album, 'Hasta Ahora' ("'Til Now") was released on December 3, 2007, as an individual CD and in a special edition package which included a DVD of their commercially released music videos.

In 2007, the duo decided to split and start solo careers. They remain great friends and left open the possibility of reuniting.

Discography[link]

External links[link]

(Spanish) Official Website

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Víctor Manuelle
Background information
Born	(1968-09-27) September 27, 1968 (age 43)
Origin	Isabela, Puerto Rico
Genres	Salsa
Years active	1993–present
Associated acts	Gilberto Santa Rosa, Tego Calderón, N'Klabe, Yomo

Víctor Manuelle, born Víctor Manuel Ruiz on November 4, 1968 in Bronx, New York, is a successful Latin Grammy nominated Puerto Rican American salsa singer, songwriter, and improvisational son singer, known to his fans as El Sonero de la Juventud ("The Youth's Son Singer"). He is identified primarily with salsa romantica or "salsa monga", but has also experimented with styles ranging from Colombian vallenato to reggaeton. Unlike other salsa performers such as Marc Anthony, he has neither recorded in English, nor made a Latin pop album, nor (with rare exceptions) ventured into acting, preferring to remain a musician grounded within salsa music. He is currently tied with Marc Anthony for the most number-one singles in the Billboard Tropical Songs chart. His single Si Tú Me Besas not only reached the number one position on the Tropical Songs chart, his 20th number one single on the chart, but also managed to become his 2nd number one song on the Hot Latin Songs chart and his 1st number one song on the Latin Pop Songs chart. Victor Manuelle is one of the few salsa singers that has managed to dominate every Billboard Latin chart.

Discovery and early career[link]

Although born in the Bronx in New York City, Victor was raised primarily in Isabela, Puerto Rico. Growing up in Puerto Rico had a great impact on his youth as he enjoyed salsa music (which was immensely popular in Puerto Rico at the time). His singing career began because of Juan R. Gonzalez, during a concert at his high school's graduation party by salsa superstar. At the instigation of classmates, who were going on about their friend the sonero, Santa Rosa invited Victor to jump up on stage and sing a song with him. To Santa Rosa's surprise, not only could Victor sing, but he "free-styled" the improvisational soneo lyrics in the song, and traded soneos with Santa Rosa. Shortly thereafter, on Santa Rosa's recommendation, Puerto Rican bandleader Don Periñon hired teenage Victor as a backup singer. During these years of apprenticeship he performed with numerous

2000s[link]

Manuelle performing in 2007

Víctor Manuelle has become one of the best-selling salsa performers of recent years, with his albums selling a combined 1 million-plus copies in the U.S. Three studio albums, 1999's Inconfundible ("Unmistakable"), 2001's Instinto Y Deseo ("Instinct and Desire") and 2004's Travesía ("Crossover"), have cracked Billboard's overall Top 200 Albums chart, and the latter two reached #1 on the Latin Album chart (Inconfundible reached #2). Interestingly, while several of his singles have made the Top 5 or Top 10 on the Latin charts, he had to wait for 2004's Tengo Ganas ("I'm in the Mood") to score a Billboard #1 Latin hit.

Perhaps his moment of greatest visibility came when he, to the happy surprise of the attendees, sang an a cappella version of Celia Cruz's signature song, La Vida Es Un Carnaval ("Life is a Carnival"), at her funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York in July 2003. This scene was replayed numerous times in the ensuing days on Spanish-language television. A few months before, he had performed the song for Miss Cruz, with full orchestra, at a televised tribute concert for her, the last one at which she ever performed on stage. (When he recorded his live album at Carnegie Hall in late 2004, his closing number was another rousing rendition of La Vida Es Un Carnaval.) In 2008 he was approach by the Diva of Puerto Rico Yolandita Monge to do a duet in the album "Mala". The song is called "Oportunidad Perdida."